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Thailand sets three-day deadline for Rajan's extradition: PTI

The Thai police Tuesday set a three-day deadline to India to make a formal request for extradition of Bombay gangster Chhota Rajan, who earlier pleaded guilty before a court in Bangkok for giving false information in his visa application.

The court fined Rajan, who was injured in a shootout on September 15, 500 Baht (Rs 500) and detained him for three days pending extradition to India, police and his lawyers said.

Stating that the extradition request must come from the Indian external affairs ministry, chief of Thai immigration police Lt Gen Hemaraj Thareethai told reporters that Thai courts did not recognise Interpol arrest warrants as an extradition request.

"The request must come from the Indian foreign ministry. If no request is received by Thursday morning, Rajan is free to go to any country he wants," he said.

"We have written a third letter on Tuesday morning and sent it to the Indian government asking whether it wants to request the extradition. If they do, they should do it by the deadline on Thursday," he said.

Earlier, Rajan alias Vijay Kadam was brought to the southern Bangkok court on a stretcher from a hospital for the case, in which he had been charged with providing a wrong name and address of a proposed company to the Thai immigration authorities while applying for a business visa.

The immigration police, however, charged Rajan with overstaying, stating that his visa had expired on September 25.

Rajan's lawyer Sirichai Piyaphichetkul said his client was not at fault since he had been lying in hospital after being shot at.

The lawyer said Rajan's passport had been confiscated by the police after the shooting and there was no way the visa could be extended.

Rajan's lawyer submitted a petition to the Thailand prime minister's office stating that the gangster be allowed to leave Thailand for a third country.

Rajan, who entered Thailand under the name of Vijay Kadam, was injured after gunmen opened fire at his friend's apartment, where he was staying. His friend, Rohit Verma alias Michael D'Souza was killed in the firing. Verma's wife Sangeeta received two bullet wounds.

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